2013 Silverado 1500 a worthy option

By Emma Jayne Williams, For the Express-News

Updated 11:11 am, Friday, April 19, 2013

Photo: General Motors Co.

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The 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is able to satisfy almost any pickup buyer's needs with its choice of models, from the basic three-passenger work truck for $23,590 to the more luxurious, fully loaded five-passenger Crew Cab LTZ. less

The 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is able to satisfy almost any pickup buyer's needs with its choice of models, from the basic three-passenger work truck for $23,590 to the more luxurious, fully loaded ... more

Photo: General Motors Co.

2013 Silverado 1500 a worthy option

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Yes, there is a new generation of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup coming for 2014, due out later this year.

But in the meantime, those who can't wait or who just want to find a good deal as General Motors closes out the 2013 model year, the current generation of the Silverado is in plentiful supply.

And it can satisfy almost any pickup buyer's needs — from the basic three-passenger work truck for $23,590 to the more luxurious, fully loaded five-passenger Crew Cab LTZ, like the one I tested this past week.

There are lots of variations and options — such as two- or four-wheel drive; long box or short box; regular, extended or crew cab; Work, LT, LS, LTZ and XFE trims.

Horsepower ranges from 195 to 403. Silverado also has a generous payload, ranging from 1,513 to 1,940 pounds, and impressive towing capacity, 4,400 to 10,400 pounds. These trucks also offer a decent ride and secure handling, and the six-speed automatic transmission improves fuel economy and acceleration.

My Silverado 1500 was a rear-wheel-drive Crew Cab LTZ short box, which listed for $39,290 (plus $995 freight), in Graystone Metallic with Light/Dark Titanium interior. This model is about as fancy as a Silverado gets, and it was quite impressive, with a very carlike interior.

Chevrolet offers the Silverado in 13 exterior colors and three interior combinations, so it is easy to make it your own. Silver Ice Metallic, Blue Granite Metallic and Mocha Steel Metallic are especially attractive outer colors. There are also some striking colors such as Deep Ruby Metallic, Tangier Orange and Wheatland Yellow. Interiors are Ebony, Cashmere or Titanium cloth or leather.

My LTZ came with the 315-horsepower, 5.3-liter V-8 flex-fuel engine, connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. It had the heavy duty trailering package (6,900-pound capacity).

The LTZ package ($605) added a locking, EZ-lift tailgate, rear wheelhouse liners, power-adjustable pedals and rear park assist. I like driving a pickup (I have a Silverado of my own), but sometimes I do have problems lowering and raising the tailgate and reaching the pedals, so I appreciate those features of the LTZ package.

Wheelhouse liners protect the inside of the fenders from rocks and dirt and also provide an extra layer of soundproofing. The rear park assist makes it easier to back into a parking space since visibility to the rear of most pickups is limited.

On my tester, the rear-vision camera system ($450) also aided in backing up, helping me to avoid hitting objects or people/animals directly behind the truck.

The 6-inch tubular chrome assist steps ($689) were also especially nice for this short driver. Entering and exiting the Silverado was almost effortless.

The interior was nicely appointed, with leather seating and simple controls for everything from cruise control to navigation.

There was a large storage compartment under the front center armrest, and the cupholders were movable and removable, allowing for changing the configuration of the storage area in the front of the center console. The armrest also had a shallow rubber-lined tray on the top.

Up to five people can ride in the Crew Cab. Passengers had lots of room, with 41.2 inches of headroom and 41.3 inches of legroom in the front, and 40.5/38.7 in the rear. The outboard rear seats were, of course, more comfortable than the middle rear seat.

All three rear seats had child-safety-seat anchors, and the middle position would be ideal for a child seat. The middle seatback, however, was hard and uncomfortable for larger passengers.

The optional touch-screen navigation system ($2,250) with CD/DVD player was simple and intuitive to operate. It replaced the standard AM/FM radio. The system included XM NavTraffic (three months' free). But during my test, I often found the traffic information to be incorrect. Traffic information is displayed on the screen as well as announced audibly, so I turned off the audio part to avoid distraction.

Another nice option was a power sliding rear window ($250), which opened and closed using a switch above the windshield — no more jumping out of the truck to close the rear window in case of sudden rain. But be sure to check for “obstructions” before pressing the button on the ceiling to close the window.

My Silverado had a power sliding sunroof ($995), and 20-inch chrome-clad wheels ($795) replaced the standard 18-inch wheels. The tester also had a chrome rear bumper. I am not a fan of chrome, but this truck had just enough to be stylish without being garish.

Silverado has lots of air bags, including seat-mounted side-impact in the front and head-curtain side air bags with rollover protection for both rows.

This model is EPA rated at 15 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway — not bad for a large work/leisure truck. We averaged 16.6 mpg, according to the trip computer, with mostly highway and country-road driving.

Total delivered price of my Silverado 1500 was $46,319, including freight and $6,034 in options.